CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- On Wednesday Pope Francis said the father\u2019s embrace in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a reminder that we never ought to despair, because nothing and no one can take away our dignity as children of God.<\/p>\nPointing to how the father in the parable had watched and waited for his younger son\u2019s return, Francis noted how \u201ctenderly he saw him from afar, meaning that he waited for him constantly, from above.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mercy of the father is overflowing, unconditional and manifests itself even before the son speaks,\u201d he said. Even though the son recognizes his sin and voices remorse, \u201cthese words dissolve in front of the forgiveness of the father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Our state as sons of God \u201cis a fruit of love from the heart of the father,\u201d the Pope said, adding that \u201cit doesn\u2019t depend on our merits or our actions, and therefore no one can take it away. No one can take this dignity away from us, not even the devil! No one can take this dignity!\u201d<\/p>\n
Pope Francis spoke to the thousands of pilgrims present in St. Peter\u2019s Square for his weekly general audience.<\/p>\n
Before beginning his address, he noted how due to the rain, the sick and disabled were watching from a screen in the Vatican\u2019s Paul VI Hall, and encouraged those present in the square to send them a greeting. The invitation was met a hardy round of applause as Francis spoke.<\/p>\n
He continued his catechesis on mercy as understood in scripture, focusing his speech on the final scene in the Parable of the Prodigal Son when the younger son returns and is embraced by the father, while the older son is resentful.<\/p>\n
When the younger son finally returns home, his declaration that \u201cI am no longer worthy to be called your son\u201d is \u201cunbearable for the heart of the father,\u201d who interrupts him and rushes to restore to him the signs of his dignity as a son, such as a fine robe, a ring and sandals on his feet.<\/p>\n
Jesus, the Pope observed, doesn\u2019t describe a father that is \u201coffended and resentful who says \u2018I will make you pay!\u2019\u201d but on the contrary, illustrates that the only thing the father is concerned about is that \u201cthis son in front of him is healthy and safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
This parable teaches us \u201cto never despair,\u201d he said, and pointed specifically to parents who, like the father, see their children becoming distant and taking \u201cdangerous paths.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also noted that the same can be said of pastors and catechists \u201cwho at times ask themselves if their work is in vain,\u201d as well as prisoners, \u201cthose who have made poor choices and aren\u2019t able to look to the future (and) those who hunger for mercy and forgiveness but believe they aren\u2019t worthy.\u201d<\/p>\n
No matter what situation life brings, \u201cI must never forget that I\u2019ll never cease being a child of God, of a father who loves me and waits for my return. Even in the worst situations in life God waits, wanting to embrace me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Pope Francis then pointed to the figure of the older brother, who although he was always at home with his father, \u201cis so different\u201d from him.<\/p>\n
When he speaks to his father, the older son \u201cspeaks with contempt,\u201d never once using the words \u201cfather\u201d or \u201cbrother,\u201d but instead boasts of how he had always been near the father and served him, the Pope observed.<\/p>\n
Neither has this son ever lived the joy of being close to his father, but accuses him of not ever giving him a young goat to celebrate, Francis said, adding \u201cPoor father! One son went away, and the other was never truly close!\u201d<\/p>\n
The father\u2019s suffering in this passage \u201cis like the suffering of God and of Jesus when we distance ourselves or when we think we are close and instead we are not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Francis noted that the older son \u201calso needs mercy,\u201d explaining that that he \u201crepresents us when we ask ourselves whether it\u2019s worth it to struggle so much if we don\u2019t get anything in return.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, when the father responds telling his older son telling him that \u201ceverything I have is yours,\u201d his logic \u201cis that of mercy!\u201d<\/p>\n
In their conversations with the father, both sons miss the point, Francis said: \u201cthe two brothers don\u2019t speak to each other, they live different stories, but both reason in a logic foreign to Jesus: if you do good you get a reward, if you do bad you get punished.\u201d<\/p>\n
By responding with the logic of mercy, the father not only recovers his lost son but can now restore the relationship between the brothers, the Pope said, adding that \u201cthe greatest joy for the father is to see his sons recognizing each other as brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Each of the sons can decide to either unite themselves to the joy of the father, or to refuse, he said, and noted how parable ends leaving us in suspense, because we don\u2019t know what the older son decided.<\/p>\n
Pope Francis closed by saying that this cliffhanger is \u201cis a motivation for us. This Gospel teaches us that we all need to enter the house of the father and participate in his joy, in the feast of mercy and brotherhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Vatican City, May 11, 2016 \/ 04:11 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- On Wednesday Pope Francis said the father’s embrace in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a reminder that we never ought to despair, because nothing and no one can take away our dignity as c…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\n
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